Lake Co. sheriff candidates outline their goals
Two Democrats are seeking their party's nomination for Lake County Sheriff in the Feb. 2 primary election. They are former sheriff's deputy John Krempotic of North Chicago and attorney Douglas Roberts of Waukegan.
The winner will advance to the November election to face incumbent Sheriff Mark Curran, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
The Daily Herald asked the candidates several questions related to the primary. Here is what the hopefuls had to say when asked about their top three priorities.
John Krempotic1. Improving the services provided to the Citizens of Lake County, in particular, the Highway Patrol Division.2. Enhancing the programs available to the inmates of the Lake County jail, to include apprenticeships in trade unions, in order to reduce recidivism rates among inmates.3. Reducing the number of arrest warrants currently on file with the Lake County Sheriff's Department.Doug Roberts 1. I am running for Lake County Sheriff to make sure that our communities are safe to live and work in. My background as an attorney gives me the skills to be an effective administrator. As Sheriff I will stand up for the employees of the office and make sure that they have the resources necessary to protect our community. I will increase the morale and restore the pride of Lake County's largest law enforcement agency.2. As Sheriff I will be a financial watchdog for the taxpayers of Lake County. The Sheriff's office has the largest budget of any department in the County at $56 million. I have a responsibility to be as careful with public funds as possible. In this time of economic hardship I will look to make any and all administrative cost-saving procedures so that we can maintain as many officers out on our streets protecting our communities as possible. The Sheriff's office budget has increased in size substantially in the last eight years. I want to make sure that the taxpayers of Lake County are getting their money's worth.3. I will remove politics from the Sheriff's office. As Sheriff I will work as a full-time administrator and be there Monday-Friday 9-5 like all other employees. I will not ask anyone else to work more hours than I am willing to work myself. I will not let politics and political favors influence my decisions and I will install new hiring and promotion practices that lessen the influence of money and politics. With more than 500 employees in the office, the Sheriff needs to be a full-time administrator, not full-time politician.False5885Doug Roberts False